The Skeletons of the Marked
by Vaughn Tyler
Summary: A series of lists. Lists which contain the secrets of Voldemort's most trusted death eaters. These secrets answer 'Why' 13 people would torture, maim, and kill other people for a insane man's cause.
1. Bellatrix Lestrange

**The Skeletons of the Marked**

**Summary**: A series of lists. Lists which contain the secrets of Voldemort's most trusted death eaters. These secrets answer 'Why' 13 people would torture, maim, and kill other people for a insane man's cause.

_Bellatrix Lestrange nee Black (May 3__rd__, 1951 – May 2__nd__, 1988)_

1. When Bellatrix was born on May 3rd, 1951, her father, Cygnus Black, walked out of the delivery room with a sparking wand the moment the child's gender was determined. He did not stay to hold his first born; instead he went home to a bottle of Ogden's finest and the portraits of his ancestors. As far as Durella, his wife ever knew Cygnus never touched Bellatrix during her entire life.

2. Durella was oblivious and wrong; Bellatrix wished she was right. Cygnus started sneaking into his eldest daughter's room at night after she turned five years old. After the third time Bella stopped bothering to cry, instead she started a tally for the number of times he came into her room.

3. Bella never told anyone what her father did to her at night because he bribed her. Cygnus prayed on the love of Bellatrix had for her sisters. He swore up and down if she let him touch her, he'd never touch Andromeda or Narcissia.

4. Of course there were moments in time Bellatrix almost cracked and informed someone of Cygnus's actions towards her. Then the man would pull out the serious bribe: teaching her the family spells. Female children were not supposed to be taught the family spells because they could give them to their husband's family. But Cygnus was desperate, and he placated his daughter this way often.

5. When she finally made it to Hogwarts she was not immediately placed in Slytherin. It took a minute and fourteen seconds for the eleven year old girl to talk the hat out of placing her in Hufflepuff for her loyalty to her sisters. And another thirteen seconds to make sure her father's actions against her would not be leaked.

6. Two months after Bella began Hogwarts she 'met' Rodolphus Lestrange. She walked in on the fifth year perfect shagging their mudblood defense against the dark arts teacher. The woman looked like she enjoyed herself, not like how Bellatrix felt when Cygnus touched her. At that moment Bellatrix Black decided she wanted to be Bellatrix Lestrange. She made sure the mudblood was fired and incarcerated for rape of an underage pureblood student and spent the next few years working her way into Rodolphus's good graces. It all seemed worth it when they married the day after she left Hogwarts.

7. A half year later, Rodolphus had not managed to make Bella feel as good as he made the mudblood feel. Instead he somehow managed to make her feel disgusted with the idea of sex and being touched by anyone at all. At least that was what she felt until she met a handsome, dark friend of Rodolphus's father called Voldemort.

8. For their first anniversary, Rodolphus and Bellatrix kneeled before the Dark Lord and took his mark. Rodolphus never commented on their Lord taking Bella back to their marriage bed that night.

9. For their tenth anniversary, Rodolphus killed Cygnus, but before he killed the man, Rodolpuhus used a slicing hex 197 times on Cygnus's body. One hex for each time the elder man snuck into Bellatrix's room during her childhood. That was the first and final moment Bellatrix ever favored her husband over the Dark Lord.

10. While in Azkaban, Bellatrix lost the memory of Rodolphus killing Cygnus. Her head filled with her sobs and Cissy's mythical screams for Cygnus to stop touching her. The first thing she did after her Lord released her from prison was return to her childhood home looking for him; to hurt him for what he did to Narcissia. She found her mother instead. The oblivious woman that _allowed_ her Cygnus to touch her and Narcissia according to Bella's dementor induced delusions. Bellatrix killed Durella rather painfully that night, but never regained her memories of her father's death. The dementors had completely taken them.

11. After the Battle of the Department of Mysteries, Bellatrix had a brief moment of doubt in her glorious Lord. He had not managed to kill the mangy half-blood or even harm Albus Dumbledore, the mudblood loving fool. Then He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named took her to bed, and the doubt lessened, but it never fully evaporated.

12. The worst moment of Bellatrix's life came not long after Potter, Mudblood, and the Weasel escaped Malfoy Manor. Narcissa's cries became real, but it wasn't Cygnus causing her pain. It was their Lord. For this reason she became hopeful that Harry Potter would win. For if Potter won, Cissiy's screams would stop.

13. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Bellatrix only had two goals: die before her master and take as many people as she could with her. She did not want to go back to Azkaban. She did not want to relive Cissy's screams or her own sobs again. She did not want to see her Lord, the only man she had ever loved, die. She planned to die. She did not plan to die at the hands of Molly Weasely. But looking down, it seemed fitting.


	2. Regulus Black

**The Skeletons of the Marked**

**Summary**: A series of lists. Lists which contain the secrets of Voldemort's most trusted death eaters. These secrets answer 'Why' 13 people would torture, maim, and kill other people for an insane man's cause.

_Regulus Arcturus Black (December 5__th__, 1961 – July 19__th__, 1979)_

1. Kreacher automatically despised Sirius when he was born, as the birth had been difficult for his Mistress and nearly killed her. On the other hand Regulus's birth was quick and mostly painless (due to an excessive amount of potions). Because of this the house elf spends a good portion of its time doting on his Young Master Regulus. As a result of a house elf being the thing that showed Regulus the most love in his early childhood he becomes loyal to the creature in exchange. Regulus listens to Kreacher even when he wouldn't listen to his mother, so it was from Kreacher that Regulus learns of family loyalty and blood purity.

2. One of Regulus's most distinct memories from his childhood is of him breaking into Orion's study. He did not do much, did not break anything, and touched nothing other than the books. Regulus was seven years old and throwing up over his father's shoes after reading a tiny bit of one of the darker dark arts books. The subject matter was something called a 'Horcrux' and how to make one. Kreacher cleans up the vomit, his father rubs his back, Walburga is off at a social function, and Sirius is in his room. Regulus spends the rest of the day wondering who Tom Riddle, the boy who marked in the book, is and why any sane person would want to look at that.

3. Accidental magic was something heavily celebrated in the family of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black. Even Sirius got a cake the first time he turned his bed sheets red. It was a German Chocolate Cake. The first time Regulus preformed magic he was eight years old and at the Max's Yule Ball, two days before Christmas. His brother had snuck up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder to turn him around. Apparently Siruis had wanted to introduce Regulus to the host's seven year old daughter. All Regulus really remembered that night was turning to fast and his drink flinging everywhere, mostly onto the host's daughter. His first reaction was to fling his hand out and apologies. Regulus managed the former but not the later, since he spent too much time gaping at Amber Max. He had vanished the punch, and her dress. His brother's laugh, his father's hastily covered grin, Amber's shrikes, and his mother's babbled apologies later fuel his partonus (a large luminescent Great Dane).

4. The Sorting Hat shouted 'Slytherin' as soon as it touched Regulus's head, but as the eleven year old walked away he heard it mutter 'would have made a better Gryffindor'. Regulus did not include that part in the letter to his mother telling her of his house. The reply he received the next morning made him never regret not telling her. Later in life the memory of his brother's face from across the hall tended to make him regret never telling Sirius.

5. That summer when he was thirteen, Regulus over heard Bellatrix trying to recruit Sirius into the service of the Dark Lord, knowing his brother as he did, Regulus knew Sirius would die before taking the Mark. That night the younger brother offered his services to the Dark Lord in exchange for his brother's freedom. Two years later he would take the Mark sealing a promise from the Dark Lord that Sirius would not be harmed as long as Regulus lived.

6. During those two years of probationary service, Regulus completed his third and fourth years at Hogwarts. He spent most of his time studying, avoiding his brother, and recruiting people for the Dark Lord. For each person Regulus damned for the sake of his brother's life, Regulus carved a lightning bolt shaped rune into his left arm. For some reason the one for Severus Snape stung longer than the others.

7. Walburga Black was so ashamed of her second son being _branded _by some foul half-blood that she formally disowned him. It's to be noted that she also retracted Sirius's disowning as a result. When he heard this result Regulus started grinning like a mad man. He wished he could see the look on his brother's face when Sirius discovered he was Lord Black! The good image helped carry Regulus through the next few Death Eater meetings.

8. The first person Regulus ever killed was a muggle-born girl named Ashley Stannard. She had been a year above him in school, a Ravenclaw, had a few flings with Sirius, and she did not look very pretty screaming her head off shaking off the Crucitus curse. She sobbed, she pleaded, and she screamed as each Death Eater took their turns torturing her. Walden McNair, who stood ahead of him in the circle, used the entrails-expelling curse on Ashley. Her intestines landed at Regulus's feet, and he raised his wand and preformed the Killing curse.

9. Regulus consoled himself by saying it was for Sirius and he was putting her out of her misery. After using the excuse for the seventh time he started wondering if Sirius was worth it.

10. When the Dark Lord asked for an elf, Regulus was quick to volunteer Kreacher. Not because it was a great honor like he told Kreacher, but because he hoped for a break from raids in exchange. The look of exhaustion, desperation, and thirst on the house-elf's face upon his return made Regulus wish he had never volunteered Kreacher to get out of the raids. But when the house-elf informed his master of what the Dark Lord had him do, Regulus was very glad (again) he volunteered Kreacher. The key to saving his brother and stopping the scars was in his grasp.9. After Kreacher finished his tale, Regulus made up his mind about what he would do immediately. He'd get the locket and destroy it. If he died in the process it wouldn't matter. His brother would be attacked by the Dark Lord. His brother would be with Albus Dumbledore (because the bloody Gryffindork idiot joined the Order of the Flaming Turkeys). The Headmaster could actually kill the man. It would be done.

11. The potion in the basin dragged up Regulus's worst memories. With each mouthful the images changed. _Walburga is screaming. Sirius is a Gryffindor. Howlers are composed. Warnings are given. Better not end up like him._ The potion is almost gone. _He's a first year and he smiles at Sirius. Houses wouldn't separate them. Their blood ties them. They are brothers. Sirius sneers, Potter jeers, Lupin looks on, and Pettigrew twitches. _The last gulp. _He is hiding behind the wall. Potter is talking to Sirius. Sirius is upset. He's saying no brother of his would be a Slytherin. Potter is talking. 'He's not your brother then. Not anymore. I am now.' Sirius is looking at Potter. 'You're a brother I can be proud of.'_ Regulus is choking. He crawled towards the water to stop the burning. Arms enveloped him.

12. When the inferti pulled Regulus into the icy water, his last thoughts were '_I hope you're proud of me now, Brother. I did what you would have done.'_

13. Sirius did not find out about Regulus's actions during the last few months of the first war until after he fell though the veil. The clarity he achieved the second he died allowed him to greet his brother with a hug and a 'you did well'. For Regulus this moment outshined all others during his life.


	3. Walden Macnair

**The Skeletons of the Marked**

**Summary**: A series of lists. Lists which contain the secrets of Voldemort's most trusted death eaters. These secrets answer 'Why' 13 people would torture, maim, and kill other people for an insane man's cause.

_Walden Macnair (February 3__rd__, 1933 – June 13__th__, 1988, Body Death on July 4__th__, 1990)_

1. Walden was the bastard son of a wealthy pureblood lord and a muggle barmaid. The man who helped conceive him took Walden from his mother moments after his birth and placed him with Justin and Constance Macnair, a couple who ran the Loose Hippogriff in Knockturn Ally. Justin and Constance adopted the boy and never gave him names of either of his biological parents, just the gist of the story, smudged descriptions, and how he was much better off with them.

2. By the age of seven, Walden had seen many things. Justin and Constance had put the boy to work as soon as he was able bodied as a drink runner. Bringing patrons Firewisky and other drinks brought the child a wealth of information, such as how many politicians were taking money under the table. He also learned telling Justin these things gained him smiles, pats on the head, and the occasional gift.

3. One such gift was a crup pup he named Appius after the man Walden told Justin about to be given the dog. Appius Claudius Agrippa was a vampire of some esteem who Walden watched drain a thirteen year old boy-whore when taking out the trash one night. Underage feeding on magical people was against the law, and Appius could have been fined several hundred thousand galleons for the act. Justin attempted to extort money from the old vampire for his silence, but only ended up being silenced permanently for doing so. When Constance lost the Loose Hippogriff six months later due to financial things she didn't understand, Walden kicked Appius the crup. The yelp it made excited the child, and he kicked it again and again. He walked away somewhat happier when it died.

4. It was coincidence that Walden's first year of Hogwarts corresponded with Tom Marvolo Riddle's last year of school. It was not coincidence for the Head Boy to witness the sixth fight eleven year old Walden was involved in. Walden was a bastard child in Slytherin who was not very good with magic. He was very good with information and words though. Such things Tom Riddle found highly useful and Thomas Nott found highly dreadful. After all, after the sixth fight Walden let everyone know there was a decent chance he and Thomas were half brothers.

5. Tom took Walden under his wing after that, and Walden found he enjoyed it there. He told Tom everything he ever told Justin and then everything he found out while still in Hogwarts. Like how Janus Filch, a Ravenclaw perfect who advocated muggle rights, had a squib brother he was deeply ashamed of, and how Professor Astrid, the young astrology teacher, was having an affair with the ancient Herbology Professor. Of course he told Tom about Christopher Lestrange's affair with a Ravenclaw, half-blood son of a werewolf. Walden found it funny who _that_ stopped very quickly and Christopher and Tom became very close friends.

6. After Tom left Hogwarts, life was a bit more difficult for Walden but he managed. Because Tom had spent time tutoring Walden, the child found magic a bit easier then it was before. Namely the Dark Arts. Tom had helped Walden discover his true calling by teaching him some basic curses. Macnair practiced them on conjured animals and found he could easily perform most of them. The screeches he called from each creature in the silenced classrooms gave him the same feeling he had when he kicked Appius. Delight.

7. After Hogwarts, Walden used some of Tom's connections to get a job in the ministry's magical creature division. Mostly he traveled around inspecting the homes of witches and wizards who kept unusual creatures as pets, making sure they were hidden from prying muggle eyes. This was how he met Chastity Max, the second daughter and third child of a pureblood couple who owned several winged horses. The Maxes were a respected pureblood family with dark moderate political ties and a large family tree. He got close to Chastity after her parents hired him for some side work of putting down an old horse, one she was particularly close to. He promised he'd make it as painless as possible for the animal: and he did with a killing curse right between the eyes. Walden did not expect Chastity to see, he did not expect her to scream, and he did not expect to get so pissed off that the stupid bitch didn't accept what he did for _her_ that he would turn on her. It was the first time he'd used the _circatus_ on anything other than a spider. He found he had to change his trousers when he escaped the aurors.

8. Walden stayed in hiding, gathering information for the man who gave him the connections to hide as he could. Sometimes Tom – who insisted on being called Voldemort now – asked him to do other things, things like what he did to Chastity Max,. Walden found he loved it, loved it more than money and sex. He found people's screams to be the greatest source of ecstasy in the world.

9. When Lord Voldemort came out to the world in the 70s, Walden came out of hiding. He lead raids on muggle villages, tortured mudbloods, and more than once rapped blood traitor women. He was one of the high profile death eaters, and he was more than proud of it. He lectured the Lestrange brothers on loyalty and dictated the Dark Lord's will to the lesser followers. Walden punished the unworthy all in his master's name and stole from the idiots who opposed his Lord.

10. It was with this stolen money Walden Macnair paid off the right politicians when his Lord died. He escaped Azkaban by a ghoul's breath and reclaimed his post in the magical creatures division of the ministry with the last of his money. It was with this excuse he pleaded for forgiveness from his Lord and Master years later. Poor Walden was incapable of finding his Master because he did not have the funds. He received a curcio from his old tutor for the excuse.

11. In the second was Macnair did not fare as well. He was an older man when his Lord returned. Old and thin and malnourished. Few people had pity for the Knockturn Ally dweller, and most everyone had learned to keep their secrets from him. Over time Macnair had grown tired, and his magic had started to putter out. He was reduced to a diplomat and swinging his scythe around. Walden was not pleased, and made sure people heard. He lost an eye to Snape when Voldemort's right hand got tired of his whining.

12. During the Battle of Hogwarts, Walden dueled against the half-giant Hagrid. During Walden's time at Hogwarts he had often ridiculed the grounds keeper's apprentice, playing pranks and harming the animals he looked after. When he had been called to execute the Hippogriff that belonged to the man years earlier he had been ecstatic. Walden could easily remember the anger he felt at having the chance to take another thing from the half-human again taken away from him. As his head collided with the castle wall, he figured Rubius Hagrid remembered it too.

13. Walden Macnair was kissed by a dementor on June 13th, 1988, three hours after his trial. His last official words were '_I'd do it all again_', but his last coherent thought was '_with more bloodshed and more deaths'._ The bastard's body died two years later, the newspaper photos of the body showed him grinning.


End file.
